Eagles Rooting Guide for Week 14
At long last, the Eagles have reached their bye week. Week 14 is here, and the Eagles have found themselves right in the thick of the playoff race.
All other teams in the NFC have already had their bye week, so Eagles fans can just sit back and relax. That's why I have decided to make a little rooting guide for this week, since there are a lot of massive games for the Eagles playoff implications. Sure, the Eagles have to take what they have in front of them, an easy last 4 games against all division opponents. But, this is a fun way to pass the time until December 19th vs. Washington.
Steelers(6-5-1) @ Vikings(5-7): Thursday, 8:20 PM, FOX
What We Want: Steelers Win
Sure, the Vikings are currently below the Eagles in the playoff picture, but a loss at home against Pittsburgh could fully bury them. The Vikings suffered a brutal loss last week versus the winless Lions, where their star studded offense was inconsistent for most of the game. Justin Jefferson has been balling, but the guys around him are either injured or subpar. After this, the Vikings have @ Bears, vs. Rams, vs. Packers and vs. Bears, so they could potentially be in a really bad spot with a loss this week. The tiebreaker would go down to the 3rd component, which is best won-lost-tied percentage in common games. The Vikings would have that one if the season ended today(Eagles 2-2, Vikings 3-1).
Saints(5-7) @ Jets(3-9): Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS
What We Want: Jets Win
I considered not putting this game on here, just because of how much of a downword spiral New Orleans' season is on right now. But if I included the Vikings with the same record, I think I have to include the Saints as well. After New York, NOLA has @ Bucs, vs. Dolphins, vs. Panthers and @ Falcons. It's a pretty easy schedule, but remember, the Eagles have the head-to-head tiebreaker over them after their 40-29 win in Week 11. After last weeks loss to Dallas, the Saints have even bigger of a question mark at QB with Taysom Hill suffering a similar injury that Russel Wilson had earlier this year. I'd still say a Jets win is unlikely, but just keep an eye on this game while watching RedZone.
Cowboys(8-4) @ Washington(6-6): Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX
What We Want: Cowboys Win
Yeah, I get it, nobody wants to root for Dallas. But if you want the Eagles to have a shot at the playoffs, they will be fighting with Washington. I really don't think the Eagles are going to win the division, so a Dallas win this late in the season really should not matter. Washington are currently holding that 7 spot in the NFC, and the Eagles are a half game behind them. Obviously the Eagles play Washington two times in their last 4 games, so that will most likely end up deciding who finishes ahead. But being on level terms with them heading into that divisonal showdown at the Linc would be huge. Washington finishes the season similar to the Eagles, @ Eagles, @ Cowboys, vs. Washington and @ Giants. Washington is riding a 4 game win streak right now, so putting them down a peg at the hands of Dallas would be nice.
Giants(4-8) @ Chargers(7-5): Sunday, 4:05 PM, FOX
What We Want: Chargers Win
Although it definitely feels like the Giants season is over, they still do have the tiebreaker against the Birds with a game versus them to go. A win in Los Angeles would put them in a huge spot to make a late season run. New York ends the season with vs. Cowboys, @ Eagles, @ Bears and vs. Washington. Again, the playoffs are in front of them if they want to run the table, but it seems unlikely with the way they have been playing.
Falcons(5-7) @ Panthers(5-7): Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX
What We Want: ???
The implications of this game are obviously big since Atlanta and Carolina are still clinging onto playoff hopes, but it's a bit of a question on who you want to root for in this game. I say that because the Eagles own the tiebreaker against both teams, and one of them will improve to 6-7 if a tie doesn't occur. Most likely the Eagles should be more worried about Atlanta, since they at least have their quarterback situation figured out and played a relatively close game with Tampa Bay last week. Atlanta finishes the season @ 49ers, vs. Lions, @ Bills and vs. Saints. Carolina finishes the season with @Bills, vs. Bucs, @ Saints and @ Bucs. I'd definitely say the Falcons have the easier schedule out of the two, but if the Eagles run the table none of this will really matter because they have the tiebreaker against all 3 NFC South teams(Buccaneers have the division wrapped up).
49ers(6-6) @ Bengals(7-5): Sunday, 4:25 PM, CBS
What We Want: Bengals Win
If Washington losing to Dallas this week is the most important game for the Eagles rooting interests, then this game is #2. The main reason for that is not only are San Fransisco .5 games ahead of the Birds, but they also own the tiebreaker after that weird game between these two teams in Week 2. Assuming the Eagles can get some favorable results against Washington, the 49ers are the biggest challenger to them for the wild card. They end the season vs. Falcons, @ Titans, vs. Texans and @ Rams. So two winnable games, and two tough games. If the Eagles could also draw level with the 49ers without playing a game, I'm sure Nick Sirianni and his staff would be ecstatic. It looks like Joe Burrow is going to try to play through the injury that he suffered last week, but it's worth keeping an eye on throughout the week.
Rams(8-4) @ Cardinals(10-2): Monday, 8:15 PM, ESPN
What We Want: Cardinals Win
It's a bit of a longshot, but the Rams remaining schedule leaves the door open for them to potentially slip late in the season. The Rams finish vs. Seattle, @ Vikings, vs. Ravens and vs. 49ers. I think any one of those games could go ether way, including next week's game against Arizona. The Cardinals are finally healthy and have been playing at an elite level. I still find it hard to believe that the rams drop 3/5 of their remaining games, but stranger things have happened. Most Eagles fans will probably just be watching this game because of the offensive firepower on both sides, but just keep in mind the Rams situation while you are watching.